Antiquities dealer Mousa Khouli has pleaded guilty to “smuggling Egyptian cultural property into the United States and making a false statement to law enforcement authorities,” according to the federal prosecutor’s office in New York. The artifacts in question, including coffins, funerary boats, and limestone figures, were brought into the U.S. between October 2008 and November 2009.

Reports from Mali indicate that rebels have “pillaged and looted” the Ahmad Baba Institute of Higher Islamic Studies and Research and other institutions where the archives of Timbuktu’s past are kept. UNESCO’s director general, Irina Bokova, has asked that Timbuktu be respected as a “cultural crossroads and center of learning.”

The archaeological collections at the Museum of London have been named the largest in the world by the judges from Guinness World Records. “The city’s water-logged environment is perfect for preserving organic objects,” said Roy Stephenson, head of the Archaeological Collection and Archives. The collection also holds items from around the world.

The grave of church official has been found near the high altar within the ruins of Furness Abbey, in Cumbria, England. The grave has yielded an abbot’s or bishop’s crozier, some of the wood of its staff, and the iron spike at its base. Part of a sweat cloth, made of silk and linen and used to protect the wood of the crook from perspiring hands, was also found. In addition, a ring made of gilded silver was recovered. It has a secret compartment behind its gemstone, and may have been designed to cause discomfort as a symbol of piety. Further research may reveal the identity of the skeletal remains.

Scientists from England traveled to America to conduct acoustic experiments with a full-sized replica of Stonehenge. Bruno Fazenda of the University of Salford tested for echoes, resonances, and whispering gallery effects. “This type of research is important because now we can not only see ourselves surrounded by the stones using virtual reality, but we can also listen how the stone structure would have enveloped people in a sonic experience,” said Fazenda. Was Stonehenge built with acoustics in mind? The data were inconclusive. The Maryhill Stonehenge, located in Washington State, was commissioned as a memorial to fallen soldiers of World War I, and was completed in 1929.

London’s Olympic organizers have cancelled the plan to have a replica Greek trireme, complete with 170 rowers, carry the Olympic flame down the River Thames as part of the opening ceremony to the games this summer. The officials claim the spectacle would be too dangerous, citing overcrowding and security issues. Now the American company refurbishing the vessel and the Greek government may retaliate. The company is threatening to sue, and the government and the Greek navy, which owns the ship, have cancelled plans for a party with British delegates.

This entry was posted by Jessica E. Saraceni on Thursday, April 19, 2012. Discussion of this blog entry is now closed.

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